10 Billion Android Market Downloads and Counting — [This post is by Eric Chu, Android Developer Ecosystem. —Dirk Dougherty] — One billion is a pretty big number by any measurement. However, when it's describing the speed at which something is growing, it's simply amazing.

Facebook flaw allows access to private photos — Summary: A flaw in Facebook allows users to access private photos that are hidden from view, through no less than the social network's own image reporting tool. — Reporting features in Facebook apparently can allow users to access personal …

Exclusive: Verizon to take on Netflix with Web service — (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc plans to launch a standalone service allowing customers to stream movies and television shows over the Web, in a fresh challenge to Netflix Inc and the traditional cable TV business, according to several people briefed on the plan.

The BBC's global iPlayer expands to iPhone and iPod Touch — Five months after BBC Worldwide launched its global iPlayer app to 11 Western European countries on iPad, the commercial arm of the UK broadcaster has announced that it's making the app available on iPhone and iPod Touch too.

Gowalla Founders v. Gowalla Investors — Location based service Gowalla is going to shut down at the end of January. The two founders, Josh Williams and Scott Raymond, will be heading off to Facebook. Loyal Gowalla users will be stranded as the service shuts down.

[EXCLUSIVE] Galaxy Nexus To Drop Stateside December 9th — → Article: [EXCLUSIVE] Galaxy Nexus To Drop Stateside December 9th — We have been itching for a certain phone to come out some time this year but we are anticipating so much with the late release of Ice Cream Source form …

Understanding Apple's endgame — Whenever you bring up Apple or any of its products, the conversation inevitably goes to market share. So much so that it seems clear to me that some people believe that Apple thinks about market share when it releases products. I don't believe that at all.

C|Net Download.Com is now bundling Nmap with malware! — Hi Folks. I've just discovered that C|Net's Download.Com site has started wrapping their Nmap downloads (as well as other free software like VLC) in a trojan installer which does things like installing a sketchy “StartNow” toolbar …

engag.io — About a month ago, William Mougayar, an AVC regular if there was ever one, emailed me about an idea he had to create a web service to make social conversations easier. We went back and forth on the idea. I pushed him to come up with a simple name and a simple UI.

Siri Is Apple's Broken Promise — A long time ago, I made a compact with Apple. “You can control my entire technological life, from my computer to my phone to my stereo. I'll pay premium prices. I'll dive into your product ecosystem, and buy books and music and movies and apps from you.

Inaugurating our new French headquarters — Last year, our Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt promised to open a research and development and culture centre in France. Today, Eric returned to Paris to inaugurate our new 10,000-square meter office in a refurbished 19th century Second Empire building near the St. Lazare Train Station.

Chinese court rejects Apple lawsuit over iPad name — (Reuters) - A court in southern China has rejected a lawsuit by Apple Inc, accusing a Chinese technology company of infringing its iPad trademark, a newspaper reported on Tuesday, the latest move in a protracted tug-of-war over the name.

‘Steve Jobs’ Becomes Amazon's Best-Selling Book of 2011 — As predicted by Amazon following its release, Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Steve Jobs has become the retailer's best-selling book of 2011. The milestone is a remarkable one given that the book did not debut until late October.